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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26706277">Just Gravity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/darter_blue/pseuds/darter_blue'>darter_blue</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Captain America Sam Wilson, Gen, Light Angst, POV Sam Wilson, Post end game</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:22:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,051</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26706277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/darter_blue/pseuds/darter_blue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam Wilson is all kinds of screwed right now. And this is not necessarily a new feeling. Sam remembers having his ass handed to him on many an occasion. At basic, in training, on mission in Afghanistan, maybe once or twice in the dead of night back home, waking to the feeling that he never should have made it back without Riley.</p>
<p>But this was his first time hurtling through the sky, no wings, no chute, no backup. Just gravity. </p>
<p>And the ground rushing up to meet him. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Sam Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Samtember</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Gravity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was a quick fic I wrote for <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/indyluckycharlie">indyluckycharlie</a> on Tumblr and thought I might pop it into this challenge for the Sam Wilson appreciation 💗</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sam Wilson is all kinds of fucked right now. And this is not necessarily a new feeling. Sam remembers having his fine black ass handed to him on many an occasion. At basic, in training, on mission in Afghanistan, maybe once or twice in the dead of night back home, waking to the feeling that he never should have made it back without Riley.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But this was his first time hurtling through the sky, no wings, no chute, no backup. Just gravity. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And the ground rushing up to meet him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He has his shield though. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The</span>
  </em>
  <span> shield. Captain America's shield. Which belongs to Sam now, because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>Captain America. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So fucking think like Cap, what would Steve do</span>
  </em>
  <span>? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hurtling towards Prague city from too great a height, his wings torn off, their chopper taken out, Steve… Steve would let himself hit the ground. Yeah - pretty face, not always a thinker - but there's no supersoldier serum to patch Sam back together when he reaches the ground. So okay, don't think like Steve. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam knows he can aim himself some, using the resistance of the wind against his shield and the aerodynamics of his body, and what little propulsion he has left in the suit without the wings. He slows his fall with the shield beneath him, short bursts his way to the highest sloped roof he can find and uses the shield to break his fall, tilts the angle to slide, minimise the force, and lets the roof slow him even further, a little more with every inch travelled, reaching out a gloved hand to dig into the tiles and try and bring himself slowly to a halt. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tiles and bits of roof are flying off behind him and beneath him. But it's working.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam can feel his heartbeat slow as his descent does. He can feel the calm of battle seep into his bones. He doesn't have time to give this moment the reflection it deserves, not yet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Because Bucky had been flying the chopper when the RPG hit, and Bucky is falling too. Bucky who Steve had left behind, just like he'd left Sam behind, no warning, no explanation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky who was still finding his way back to himself, who's life had been left in Sam's Hands by the one guy that was meant to lead them both into their freedom. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam couldn't let him fall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even if </span>
  <em>
    <span>Steve</span>
  </em>
  <span> had let them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So. He let the momentum carry him to his feet, tossed the shield, jumped, let off a burst of propulsion and aimed himself at the falling, black clad, ex assassin with stormy blue eyes that were currently looking up at Sam like he was fucking crazy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They might not be wrong.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, Bucky grasped at his outstretched hand, the weight of him yanking at Sam, even as he hit his thrusters to combat it. He used all the strength he had to haul Bucky up, grab him by the waist, twist their bodies to be horizontal through the air and aim for the next roof. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He used everything he had left in his tank to propel them towards the next building, and he felt Bucky spin them so that he would take the brunt of the fall - Sam didn't waste energy trying to correct it, Bucky could survive the hit better than him anyway - and pulled them back with the very last of his reverse thrust and braced for impact. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They hit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam felt the force of the impact along his body, but Bucky held him tight, so there was little shock. Still, he felt the sharp pain of his rib crack, felt the crush to his abdomen, felt the sickening thud in his temples. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then they were sliding, Bucky with both arms around him, Sam reaching out to grab at the tiles and slow them, digging down to break their speed, looking behind and down to see the lip of the roof rush up to meet them and bracing to hang on, go over, and then swing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He judged the ground to be close enough that they could make the fall and let them drop. Bucky, still with a hold on Sam, took the brunt of the fall again, but with his feet this time, letting Sam go, finally, as momentum carried them to topple over, and Sam used it to roll, finally coming to a complete stop a couple feet from his partner.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was hurt. He took stock, broken rib, at least one, maybe two, bruising, winded, but he was okay. Bucky would be too, he could hear him grumbling. Sam let his head roll to the right and found Bucky doing the same.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were okay. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had maybe two minutes before whoever had shot them down caught up with them here, so there was no time to be cute. They had to go. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The shield landed vertically, sliding into the concrete of the ground like butter next to Sam's body - he'd worry about the physics of the fucking shield and its return properties later, when people weren't shooting at him - and lifted himself up to as best a sitting position as his ribs would allow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>'You're just as dumb as fucking Stevie sometimes, you know that Wilson,' Bucky groaned, sitting up next to Sam and shaking his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>'Someone has to save your hopeless ass, Barnes,' Sam replies, trying to keep the fondness out of his voice, 'You're my responsibility now.'</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky stops his grumbling to look over at Sam with those sharp, blue-grey eyes and narrows them dangerously. But it's all for show. Sam knows that underneath all that cold winter soldier bull shit, Bucky is just a fluffy fucking marshmallow, which is why Sam needs to take care of him. And why Bucky let's him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky raises one eyebrow but doesn't argue. Instead he shakes some tile dust out of his hair and gives a sloppy salute. 'Whatever you say, boss.'</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And Sam knows he's mostly joking. But… he does like the sound of that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>'Then on your feet, Barnes, let's go,' He snaps, hauling himself up and grabbing the shield. They still don't have time to be cute. They have a world to protect. And Sam is in charge now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah. He does like the sound of that. </span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you wanna come chat with me, you can find me <a href="https://darter-blue.tumblr.com/">here</a> on tumblr or <a href="https://twitter.com/beclouise13">here</a> on twitter</p></blockquote></div></div>
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